The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-05-07
AMATIBOU'S KING.
Story Of a Sarcastic and Unfort-
innate Drama.

beg to assure the reader that l re.
tain no ill-fceling toward any one re-
spccting this frightful discontinue.
Yet, the event must be looked upon as
one Of the most complete dramatic
failures that ever took place on q mod
ern French stage. The subject of the
play pleased me then. as, in fact, it
still pleases inc now.
"Thc King of Amatibou'' was first
produced at the Palais-R Royal Theatcr,
on November 81, 1868. or a little over
a year before the downfall of the En-.
pire. France had then reached one of
those momentous crises in her history
when she feigns to believe that she is
no longer free.
Ny object had been to write a mere
Extravaganza. 1t proved to be Il whole
political broadside that fell from my
pen, o rather our pens, for l had a CO.
worker. Edmond Cottinet, my col
league and friend, was as much taken
back at this unexpected result us
could possibly be myself, per-
haps more so. He was a sim
ere Republican. of a liberal turn
Of mind. and well up in all c%ontrover-
sisl questions Of the day; yet here he
was suddenly and, l may add, to his in
finite disgust, implicated in a charge
Of social and political apostacy. He
was looked upon as a t%urncoat. and ac-
eused Of fi%ring-albeit with squibs-on
bis " party. The news fell on him
like a thunderbolt. He wrote to the
editor of the Steele. protesting indig-
nantly against such a gratuitous and
undeserved imputation.
All this, however, was q mere waste
Of link; the tide had set in dead against
us. have just come across our manu-
script, which. for the last fourteen
years. has been gathering dust in an
Oh trunk. Well, to tell the truth, l do
Believe the public was not. after all. so
lar out Of its judgment as l had at first
thought. There comes from these now
!ellowish pages a SAVIOR of revolt and a
Feactionary spirit which, / may say,
gives me no feelings of remorse.
Oar plot. briefly told, will be found
IN the following story:
Caslmir, King Of Amatibou, the
monarch of 4 savage tribe on the coast
., Africa, was the idol of his subjects,
about whom he troubled himself rs lit
Tie as possible. Neither taxes nor slav-
cry constitution nor laws was to be
met with in this ideal land, where a
ifee and peaceful barbarism alone pre-
vailed. The people had never been
Known to conspire, nor had they ever
assembled to discuss their rights. They
remained royalty blind to their own
sovereignty. No one had yet been
'oahd to persuade them that they were
miserable.
!helr religion was Of a touching and
primitive sort; they worship Al eel, the
sacred ell, us it was called, which for
.ne last S27 years had been allowed to
urn! and float around a stagnant pond
~ ,ae precincts Of the palace. When
!. u'ea another eel surreptitiously took
Ms place. This naive legend epito-
m'zed their filth.
All would have been we'll for the
s.oo folks Of Amatibou II King CASH
%r-.a visionary ~being-had not been
haunted with ideas Of progress. As it
a,appened, the monarch was bent on
s,sllizlng his SUBJECTS His Prime Min
iI'Ot va'nly strovo to check such ten.
a'.eles. why quietly demonstrated
.LV sage counsellor. 'introduce reforms
'aeh every thing works 50 smoothly"
me King called his Minister an old
a. 10 carry out his plans, one Of the
..s. tnlngs King Casimir did was to
snu MS eldest son to Frauce to study
It's . bachelors degree, and to bring
sva'c az much civilization "a he could
IRON that distant land
on aannissa, on rcaching Marseilles. at
~ made the best At BIZ way 70 sveyy